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Time Scam
Time Scam, also known as Time Scam: Illegal Broadcast, Time Scam: Premium 2016 (Home Edition for Windows Operating Systems), Time Scam: World Peace, and Time Scam: Aeithopia, was a podcast hosted by Willem McCartney/Howard Melworm, Manfred Mahon (Niall Mahon), and Carl Isle (John Connolly). The original concept for Time Scam is derived from Howard Melworm's Amusingly Idiosyncratic and Unconventional Symbicandis Showcase, an early project from McCartney during the Byrnian Wave that was deemed unfunny by the General Productions Officer Aengus Cunningham. The show was originally planned to be co-hosted by Reuben Byrnes but McCartney decided to host it solo after revising the concept into Time Scam: Illegal Broadcast. Though the original episode was never made available online, McCartney often cites Byrnes' appearance on Animation Music, Imaginary Symphonies, and Songs About the Ocean '''as a signifier of what the show would have been like. Illegal Broadcast Time Scam's original series saw host Howard Melworm tackle the hard hitting questions with a variety of guests. While this format was not representitive of the show as a whole, these initial few episodes introduced many staple characters to the mythos, including: '''Dr. Daithi Harvey, Tyrone Wellingtonworth, Parkour Pete, Carl Isle, Antony Padinjarathala, and Sean O'Connor. With the Belfield FM's committee threatening to cancel the show at the end of Illegal Broadcast's run, it was evident that things had to change in order for Time Scam to continue broadcasting. Premium 2016 Following the threat of cancellation, Time Scam found support from previous guest Sean O'Connor's company Orthodox Solutions Ltd., who promised to provide compensation for the show so long as it fell more in-line with the expectations that the station had at the time. The refinement of its format saw host Howard Melworm going into hiding as Willem McCartney was entrusted to take the reigns. Joined by co-host Daithi Harvey, brother of deceased previous guest Dr. Daithi Harvey, McCartney introduced a slew of refinements to the show, as specified by Orthodox Solutions. This included: regular advertisements, product showcases, alternative sports coverage, and a recurring conspiracies segment entiteled John Henry Newsman; many once-off listners of Illegal Broadcast had assumed it to be a consiracy theory show, which Orthodox Solutions saw as a pre-existing audience ready to be capatilized upon. Premium 2016 was famously cut short during a climactic moment in its fourth episode, which saw O'Connor appearing to talk about his work as CEO of Orthodox Solutions. The podcast concluded with a bewildered McCartney, rallied by the dissident Howard Melworm, revoking Orhodox Solutions stake in the show and firing his co-host on-air, seeing him as a sympathiser to the companies demands. World Peace After kicking 'Jimmy Capitalism' out of Time Scam, the show took a short hiatus. McCartney managed to make an arrangement with Belfield FM that allow the show to continue broadcasting without the backing of Orthodox Solutions. The name World Peace is a reference to Time Scam's founder, Tyrone Wellingtonworth, and his love and advocacy for peace, as described in the origins episode of Illegal Broadcast. This incarnation of Time Scam introduced Manfred Mahon, who managed the official social media page, as co-host, as well as the return of Carl Isle, Orthodox Solution's lawyer who was placed to ensure to show stayed 'cool, fresh, and innovative', becoming the show's occasional third host. During this time, Daithi Harvey continued to produce a show for Orthodox Solutions, much to McCartney's chagrin. The "How 'Bout No?" Show aired Fridays on the same station and was co-hosted by influence Katherine Beirne. Tensions remained high between both shows, ultimately resulting in Carl Isle litigating a dispute between both shows during a live broadcast of Time Scam. Carl Isle was later informed by higher-ups from Orthodox Solutions that he didn't have the authority to come to a conclusion after both parties had made their case and was told that the company would be seizing the show and removing McCartney as host. With him gone, Manfred Mahon, who Carl Isle had noted as likely being capable of shilling any product he was asked to, was appointed host of Time Scam: Orthodox Broadcast, 'a new, purer form of radio entertainment'. Aeithopia Over the summer following Time Scam's initial run, McCartney desperately consulted with Howard Melworm in order to come up with a plan to take back control of the show. This resulted in Time Scam being claimed as religious sanctuary for the new religion of Aeithopianism. With the themes of spirituality and belonging as a backdrop, McCartney and Mahon struggled to come up with solid ideas for the show, resulting in a more free form structure. This period of experimentatioin was also notable for its crossover episode with UCD Soundsystem. The series concluded with a confluence of milky aeithopian energy giving listeners a vision into the future of the show, which would continue to broadcast for many decades before concluding with a vision of Mahon putting an aging and jaded McCartney out of his misery. Witching Hour and Never_end After an eerie foresight into the future of the show, Time Scam was put on hiatus as McCartney, who had just been elected as station manager of Belfield FM, began to work on another project entitled Abridged Rumbles, A Council of Weird Religions, and Radio Communique. The following year, Manfred Mahon began to host Witching Hour, which resulted in the sacrafice of his goat companion Sammie in an aeithopian ritual to create a new vessel for the spirit of Howard Melworm. The show continued irregularly for the following year before going on indefinite hiatus.